What does it mean to "love your neighbor?" This past week I was approached by a man and his wife. The man, a total stranger, said he and his wife didn't have any money for gas and wanted to know if I could help. A lot of things went through my mind. What if this guy was scamming me? How is it my fault that this guy maxed out his credit cards? I don't have the time for this. But as suddenly as those thoughts went through my head some other thoughts pushed through. What does it mean to "Love your neighbor?" What if this man is truly in need? Does
God call me to "serve" only when it's convenient to me? I ended up asking this man if he could drive to the gas station. Upon arriving i pumped some gas for him and we ended up talking. He was a genuine man and his wife was a sweet woman. I was reminded of the good Samaritan. And in my reminder I couldnt help but think of the people Christ had healed in his ministry. Some turned to Christ because of his miracles, other may have turned away in spite of it. In the end, Christ did what was right. Not because it was convenient but because the right thing is what we're called to do regardless of what who we "think" is worthy of it.
2 comments:
Amen! I'm glad you were able to help. Surely those experiences are not only for the benefit of others, but also for ourselves. "When did I give a drink of water to you, Lord? T
I agree Bill. If you haven't read it, you should read "Same Kind of Different As Me". It is a true story about a homeless man and a rich art dealer. The book inspired so many people that a second book was written to document many of the ministries that came from it. In the second book a woman said that she made a promise that if anyone ever asked her for money again, she would give it to them. So sure enough, two drunks approach her for money. Her first thought was that they would spend it on alcohol. Sure enough, one of them did. However, at the bar, he met a sympathetic bartender, who after hearing his story, took him home to his family who welcomed him with open arms. Several months later he goes to the home of the woman who gave him the money and she sees this clean cut man dressed nice and had no idea who he was. Turns out it was the guy she gave the money too. He had become homeless when he lost his job and left his family because he felt he couldn't provide for them all that they needed. But when the bartender returned him to his home, to see his family he hadn't seen in forever, his life changed afterward and he got it all back together.
So yes, you might give someone the money, and they might use it for something you think they shouldn't, but when we give from love, and from our hearts, God will take care of the rest.
Isn't that awesome?
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